A light touch to a brand-new apartment for a young couple. 

The Design Brief called for a monochromatic, modern Chinese aesthetic. 

I.M Pei's Suzhou Museum served as an initial point of reference. In particular, the way its dark-grey tiles accentuate the building’s geometric composition. 

This starting point inspired the dark timber frames lining the walls of the living and dining room, with infill panels of fabric look-alike laminate echoing the texture of traditional calligraphy scrolls. Together, they provide a unifying backdrop for the living and dining rooms whilst diverting attention away from the existing wall-mounted aircon units. 

The billowy grey-on-white backdrop of the TV console recalls the varying shades of grey found in Chinese brush paintings, framed on either side by timber lattice work instead of typical flutes. 

A full-height mirror adds visual interest to the dining room, visually enlarging it whilst reflecting daylight and views from the balcony across from it.

Lastly, a cherished painting of the owners was positioned within line of sight of the Master Bedroom door, becoming a daily encounter on the way to the kitchen or out the door.